Over 100 guests came along on the night, including representatives from all four tiers that the programme is designed to help grow:

Production companies

Facilities companies

Sole traders

Supply chain companies

Roger Morris, the Managing Director of Elstree, opened the event, welcoming guests and talking about how Hertfordshire needs a programme like ProConnect to help the graduates of West Herts College and Elstree UTC set up in business in the film & TV industry, which thrives in the area thanks to the presence of Elstree, Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, and its proximity to London.

Hayley Armstrong, Creative England’s Production Liaison Manager for the East and South East of England, then took over the mic to announce the first workshops starting this summer, and that the business grants (up to £5,000 available to small businesses to support growth) are now open for applications.

Finally, Michael Wood from supporters Performance Film & Media Insurance spoke a little about how they can help creative companies just starting out with their insurance requirements.

Performance also provided some excitement on the night with their draws for a bottle of wine and a bottle of champagne.

Elstree is one of our venue partners for the ERDF-funded ProConnect programme, which is designed to help grow small businesses working in, or aspiring to work in, film & TV production in Hertfordshire. The programme offers a variety of workshops to help small businesses tackle subjects that may lead to growth or overcome things that may be an obstacle to growth, such as pitching, finance, employing the right team and dealing with difficult people.

Elstree Studios will be hosting all of the workshops and the large events over the next couple of years, whilst West Herts College in Watford will be hosting the Knowledge Bites strand of workshops giving pre-start-up support.

We are looking forward to getting the first delegates signed up to the workshops. You can find out more about the programme and what’s coming up here, and if you are interested in taking part email proconnectherts@creativeengland.co.uk with your details and we will make sure you are notified when the first workshops are open for registrations.